675037-1883-Hydrographic-Notices- — Page 1

THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 20TH JANUARY, 1883.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.-No. 20.

HYDROGRAPHIC NOTICES.

The following Hydrographic Notices are published for general information.

By Command,

Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 20th January, 1883.

39

FREDERICK STEWART,

Acting Colonial Secretary.

The substance of this Notice, as soon as it is received on board, is to be inserted in red ink on the Charts affected by it; and introduced into the margin, or otherwise in the page, of the Sailing Directions to which it relates. See Admiralty Instructions, Navigation and Pilotage, pp. 312 and 313.

NOTICE TO MARINERS.

(No. 212.) CHINA SEA.

UNIFORM SYSTEM OF COLOURING BUOYS AND BEACONS IN CHINESE WATERS.

The Chinese Government has given Notice, dated 4th August 1882, that the following system of colouring buoys and beacons in Chinese waters has been adopted :-

*

The side of the channel is to be considered starboard, or port, with reference to the entrance to any port from seaward.

BUOYS.

1. Buoys coloured red mark the starboard side of the channel, and must be left on the starboard hand by vessels entering.

2. Buoys coloured black mark the port side of the channel, and must be left on the port hand by vessels entering.

3. Buoys painted in red and black horizontal bands mark the fairway, and should be passed close-to.

4. Buoys painted in red and black vertical stripes mark the ends of spits, and the outer and inner extremes of banks, shoals, or extensive reefs, where there is a navigable channel on either side.

5. Buoys painted red and black chequered mark rocks in the open sea, also obstructions of small extent having channels on either side of them. When marking the latter, they will be placed seaward of the danger.

6. When two chequered buoys-red and white and black and white-mark an obstruction, the red and white buoy marks the starboard side of the channel, and must be left on the starboard hand by vessels entering; and the black and white buoy marks the port side of the channel, and must be left on the port hand by vessels entering.

7. Wrecks will in all cases be marked by green buoys, with the word wreck painted on them in white letters; when a wreck lies in the open sea or in a position where there is a navigable channel on either side of it, the buoy will carry no other distinguishing mark, and will in every such case be placed seaward of the wreck.

The numbers on wreck buoys will be painted in white, and placed above the word wreck.

Wreck buoys marked with an even number must be left on the starboard hand by vessels entering.

Wreck buoys marked with an odd number must be left on the port hand by vessels entering.

NOTE. All other distinguishing marks to buoys will be in addition to the foregoing, and where such are employed, a particular description of them will in each case be given in the published List of Chinese Lighthouses, &c.

Each buoy will have an iron plate on its outside, above the water-line, with the name of its district and station (as given in the published List) stamped thereon in English and Chinese, to insure its identification if found adrift.

BEACONS.

1. Beacons coloured red mark the starboard side of the channel, and must be left on the starboard hand by vessels entering.

2. Beacons coloured black mark the port side of the channel, and must be left on the port hand by vessels entering.

3. Beacons painted in red and black vertical stripes mark spits and the outer and inner extremities of banks, shoals, or extensive reefs, where there is a navigable channel on either side.

4. Beacons painted red and black chequered mark rocks in the open sea, also rocks of small extent having channels on either side of them.

5. When two chequered beacons-red and white and black and white-mark a rock or reef, the red and white beacon marks the starboard side of the channel, and must be left on the starboard hand by vessels entering; and the black and white beacon marks the port side of the channel, and must be left on the port hand by vessels entering.

When a beacon painted a single colour, either black or red, is surmounted by a distinguishing mark, such mark may be painted the same colour as the body of the beacon, or with that colour and white combined, or white alone.

NOTE. The above rules for painting beacons apply in each case to the body of the structure.

When the body of a beacon is painted in two colours, the same colours only may be used for the mark surmounting it. Whenever a distinguishing mark is used, a particular description of it will be given in the published List of Chinese Lighthouses, &c.

Beacons on shore, to enable bearings to be taken, or to give lines of direction for crossing bars or entering rivers, harbours, &c., are to be painted so as to make them as conspicuos as possible. Red, black, and white are the only colours to be used, and a particular description of such marks will be given in the published List.

By Command of their Lordships,

Hydrographic Office, Admiralty, London, 17th October, 1882.

This Notice affects China Sea Directories, vol. II., 1879, and vol. III., 1874.

FREDк. J. EVANS,

Hydrographer.